Lewis Craven scoops national cycling medal among Olympic competitors

Lewis Craven with his medal

Lewis Craven, owner and full-time optometrist at Craven & Murray Opticians in Norden and a keen amateur cyclist, has won a cycling medal, beating professional athletes to the podium.

Lewis finished in third place, beaten only by two professional cyclists, Ian Field, the three-time defending National Cyclo-Cross champion and Liam Killeen who represented Great Britain as the sole male cross-country rider in the London 2012 Olympics.

The National Cyclo-Cross Championships took place in Abergavenny, Wales on Sunday 11 January where professional and amateur cyclists line up together for the race made up of laps around a cross-country course.

During the race, Lewis crept into the top ten after the first few laps, taking pole position for part of the event, ahead of Olympic cyclists and previous national champions.

Speaking about the event, Lewis said: “The National Cyclo-Cross Championships was a fantastic experience and to come in third place and receive the bronze medal after two professional cyclists is just incredible.

“I had finished sixth overall in the National Cyclo-Cross Series that was held over the winter comprising six events throughout the country, so I went into this competition expecting to come in a similar position. I would have been absolutely thrilled with sixth, so to come third overall is a great achievement for me.”

Lewis managed to squeeze his training in around work and family life to prepare himself for the race.

He added: “I’ve been working hard to fit my training in around running my own business where I work full time, and spending time with my family. It has been a tough ride, but the medal has made it so worth it.”